Aya El Aouni : Moroccan Tennis Player Transferring to LSU for Fall 2026

Aya El Aouni is a Moroccan tennis player who will join the LSU Tigers for the Fall 2026 season, transferring after two seasons at UCF, where she quickly established herself as one of the top newcomers in the Big 12 Conference.

Originally from Casablanca, Morocco, El Aouni arrived at UCF as part of the Knights’ second-ranked 2024 recruiting class, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, following a strong junior career that included a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 29 and a W35 Casablanca doubles title alongside fellow Moroccan Malak El Allami.

A Standout Freshman Season at UCF (2024-25)

El Aouni made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, quickly becoming a fixture on UCF’s top courts :

• Posted a 12-5 singles record and a 16-7 doubles mark during dual-match play
• Became the first player in UCF program history to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors (March 4, 2025), after picking up top-75 wins over No. 25 Oklahoma State and No. 73 Kansas State
• Named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and the All-Big 12 Doubles Second Team
• Named ITA Southeast Regional Rookie of the Year
• Formed a dominant doubles partnership with senior Sophia Biolay, going 13-5 overall (12-2 on court two), including a 12-match win streak and an undefeated conference doubles record
• Reached career-high rankings of No. 598 in singles and No. 461 in doubles on the WTA Tour
• Helped UCF capture its first-ever Big 12 team championship

Her performance carried into the fall, where she opened the 2025-26 season undefeated in singles (5-0) and climbed as high as No. 85 in the ITA rankings, before entering the spring ranked No. 94 nationally in the ITA preseason poll.

A Season Interrupted

El Aouni missed the entirety of her sophomore season (2025-26) due to injury, a setback for a UCF team that still managed to finish atop the Big 12 standings without her.

A New Chapter at LSU

For the 2026-27 season, Aya El Aouni transfers to LSU as a redshirt sophomore, joining head coach Taylor Fogleman’s program in the SEC. Coach Fogleman highlighted her as one of the top players she competed against in the Big 12, expressing confidence that her best tennis is still ahead of her.

With a breakout freshman campaign already behind her and a full season of recovery, Aya El Aouni arrives at LSU as a player with real upside, someone capable of contributing immediately in both singles and doubles at one of the toughest levels of NCAA competition.

Aya El Aouni – University of Central Florida Women’s Tennis Team